The present invention relates to exercise apparatus of the type which allows a user to repeatedly pull on a handle which is attached to a cable. A source of resistance, such as one or more weights, springs, elastic bands, and/or hydraulic or pneumatic dampers, is coupled to a distal end of the cable to counteract the tension applied to the cable by the user.
Exercise apparatus of this type is well known. It is also known to design such exercise apparatus so that the cable portion leading to the handle emanates from a cable pulley at a selected exit point along a circular arc formed by an arcuate frame member of the machine. This exit point may be determined by the position of a trolley that supports the cable pulley. This trolley can be moved along an arcuate track that follows the arcuate frame member and is secured in a fixed position along this track to adjust the cable exit point. Alternatively, the pulley may be attached directly by hand to fittings on the arcuate frame member, which are located at a number of fixed points along the arc.
Exercise equipment of this type is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,102,122 and 6,705,976 to Piane and the U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,600 to Ullman. The disclosures of these three U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
In the above-noted patents to Piane, the trolley track, which extends along the circular frame member, is permanently fixed in position on the exercise apparatus and cable take-up means are provided to compensate for the different cable lengths required as the trolley is moved from position to position along the track. The apparatus can be designed to provide either one arcuate trolley track, or two tracks arranged in opposition, allowing the user to select cable exit points from any position around a substantially complete circle.
In the above-noted patent to Ullman, two semi-circular trolley tracks are provided in the apparatus, connected together at both top and bottom in a hinged manner. While this arrangement allows the positions of the trolley tracks to be moved laterally (horizontally) about the hinged connection points, thus providing additional flexibility to the user, this apparatus has no cable take-up mechanism and therefore cannot compensate for a change the length of the cable when the position one of the trolleys along its track is changed. Also, because the two semi-circular trolley tracks are hinged together, top and bottom, it is difficult for a person to stand in the center region while using the apparatus.